In 2022, the Transformative Teaching and Learning (TTL) Strategic Initiative committee, comprised of faculty representing each college, developed an initial direction and implementation plan for providing Tech students with transformative teaching and learning experiences. The initial phase of the plan calls for creating faculty incubator space to enable pedagogical innovation. To achieve this aim, instructors are invited to apply for the TTL Innovation Incubator grant to receive financial and programmatic support to plan, implement and evaluate a transformative teaching project.
While there are many possible frameworks by which to create conditions that lead to transformative learning, the TTL faculty initiative prioritizes teaching innovations focused on high impact practices and the 8 Key Elements of High-Impact Practices that have emerged from the academic literature on student success.
This round of Innovation Incubator grants will expand opportunities for community-based learning (also known as service-learning).
Community-based learning is an educational approach the integrates classroom instruction with meaningful community engagement. It promotes active engagement, collaboration, and practical application of knowledge, fostering a deeper understanding of academic concepts and cultivating civic responsibility among learners.
Faculty who receive funding will agree to:
Participate in small group planning sessions with CTL in summer and/or fall 2025 to be scheduled around participant availability.
Participate in periodic group meetings during their implementation semester to share experiences.
Design and implement an assessment strategy to capture project results.
Participate in a culminating event, schedule to be determined, to share the project approach and results.
Submit a final report providing designed/redesigned course materials to be shared as resources for other instructors, as well as reflection on the design process and project expenses.
Submission:
Click the "Apply Now" button to submit proposal by 5 p.m., Monday, March 3, 2025.
The Small Print:
Priority will be given to proposers who participate in GTREET on January 24, 2025, and/or a follow-up consultation.
Course buy-outs are acceptable for summer or fall 2025 to provide faculty time for course redesign but not for spring 2026, by which time the project is expected to be implemented.
Instructors are encouraged to develop responses to these questions prior to beginning the proposal form.
Please provide a detailed description of the proposed community-based learning course, including tentative student learning outcomes and ideas for community partnerships.
How will this project transform student learning or the student experience? Describe the connection between the goals of this project and the Transformative Teaching and Learning initiative. (150-250 words)
How will the community partnership be maintained after the grant cycle ends?
Please describe your previous experience, if any, with community-based learning.
Describe your tentative project assessment plan. (i.e. what evidence of transformative student learning could emerge from this project?)
How many students would be impacted by the proposal annually?
Provide an itemized budget of how the funds (up to $12,000) will be spent in FY25 (by June 2025) vs FY26 (by June 2026)
What additional support might this proposal need from CTL, Community-Based Learning (CBL), administration, faculty peers, or students to make this initiative successful? Include TAs needed ot support the course.
Names of faculty involved, school, and the name and contact information for the unit's financial contact.
Questions?
Dr. Kate Williams
Kate.williams@gatech.edu
Transformative Teaching and Learning, Faculty Initiatives
Center for Teaching and Learning